Pressing machine



Aug. 30, 1932. P, BRAUN I 1,874,876

PRESSING MACHINE Original Filed July.3, 1924 2 sheets sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS,

Aug. 30, 1932. N BRAUN 1,874,876

PRESSING MACHINE Original Filed July 3, 1924 ZSheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY-S.

orportion thereof on which the buck 1 is mounted.

The driven'shaft 19 extends in a dlrectlon crosswise of the drivingshaft 18 and is journaled in a suitable housing 21 supported by theframe beneath the table'on which the buck is mounted and the clutchmechanism is also located in the housing 21.

I The driving shaft 18 is here shown, as having a worm 2 2 thereonwithin-the housing 21, a this worm meshing with a worm wheel 23 ing tohold the section 24 in its shifted position is discontinued. The pins 25are guided in a guide ring 27 mounted ad acent to wheel 23, and themotion of the shiftable member 24 is transmittedto the pins through apressure ring 28, throughwhich the pins slide, and comparatively lightsprings 29 interposed between the pressure ring and the section24. Thering 28 thrusts against shoulders 30 on the pins 25. In the event thepins 25 are not alined with the holes 26 when the section 24 is shifted,the springs 29 will compress and these springs 29 will shift the pinsinto the holes 26 when the pins come into alinement with the holes 26. Amain spring 31 shifts the clutch section 24 to its out position. p

The clutch is shifted to its in position by angular, one arm portionthereof extending upwardly and having an arm 35 extending horizontallyunder the table on which the buck is mounted. The means for operatingthe arm 35, as here shown, consists of an electromagnetwhich in thepresent form of my invention is a solenoid 36 supported in a case 37carried by the frame 4, the core 38 of the solenoid being connected by apinand-slot connection 39 to the arm 35 of the wylever 34. Obviously,when the solenoid is energized, the core .38 will be pulled downwardly,and the lever 34 will be actuated to shift the clutch section 24 to'theleft, Figure 4, and carry the. pins 25 into interlocking engagement'withthe worm wheel 23 which constitutes a drive wheel. 'The solenoid iscontrolled by two normally open manually V The shaft 19 is connected tothe power arm 16 in any suitable manner, and as shown in Figure 1, 1t isprovided with an eccentric power arm 16.

-To close the press, both switches 4O m ustbe closed and held closed-sothat the solenoid 36 is energized to cause the core 38 to be pulleddownwardly and thus actuate the lever 34 to move theshifter arm 32 tothe left and shift the clutch section'24to' carry the pins 25 intointerlocking; engagement'with the driving wheel 23.

If the operator holdsitlie switches 40 closed, the press head 2 will.bebrought'down to its fully closed position, it requiring ahalfrevolution of the shaft19 to close the press and apply pressure thereto.If however, the. operator releases either one or both of theswitches40,the press head will immediately stop. Thus the operator mustkeep'both hands busy while the press is closing, so that there is nopossibility of his having either one of his handsv between the pressingelements while the press is closing. Preferably to open the press but amomentary closing of the switches 40 is, required in order to shift theclutch 24 to its in position and means is provided for holding theclutch section .24 in its in position during the opening movement of thepress. This means comprises a cam ring 46 carried by casing 21 andarranged concentric with the shaft 19 and a follower 47 carried by theclutch section 24 and co acting with the cam ring. Substantially onehalf of the cam ring is formed with the low surface 48 and the otherhalf with the high surface 49, these surfaces beingsubstantiallysemi-circular.

When the press is open, the follower 47 is at the starting end of thelow surface 48 and .44, which is connected by a link to the v during theclosing'movement of the head 2,,

the follower is spaced'apart from this low surface and remains spaced,apart therefrom as long as the operator holds both switches 40 closed. i

The operator determines by the feel of the machine when the press isclosed and releases either or both of the push buttons 40 when the pressis closed. At the starting of the closing'movement, the eccentric'44 isin its position shown in Figur 1, and at the end of theclosing movement,it'is in the diametrical- 1y opposite position and remains in itsdiametrically opposite position while the press I is held closed.

To open the press, both switches 40 are mo- I initial part ofthe turningof the-clutch secinvests" tion 24, the follower 47 is carried onto thehigh part 49 of the cam and this high part ofthe cam holds the clutch inits in position while the shaft is making a' h'alf revolution back tothe position shown in Figure-1.

' The electric motor is merely a prime mover. It is connected in anysuitable feed circu t and is constantly running while the machine isbeing used, .it running idly after the press is opened and after it isclosed. It performs.

work only during thelclosing of the press when :the clutch sections areengaged; and during the opening ofthe press *when the clutch sectionsare engaged. During. the

opening movement, the work on :the motor is momentary. The motor may bereplacedby any other prime mover or by a pulley. The electric circuit inwhich the windings of the electro magnet are connected and also inwhic'hthe push buttons or control switches 40 are connected may be connectedin any suitable feed circuit of sufiicient capacity to energize themagnet. For convenience, the circuit for the magnet is connected to thesame service wires or feed circuit as those to which the motor isconnected, although the energizing of the magnet is in no waycoordinated with the operation of the motor since the motor isconstantlyrunning. v

In Figure 3, I have shown a pressing machine with a different form oftoggle mechanism, and in this machine, the head 2 and front arm of theyoke 7 substantially counterbalances the weight 10 and other parts connected to the rear armof the yoke, so that the head stays in anyposition :it is placed.

In the machine shown in Figure 3, the operator preliminarily closes thepress by pulling down on the handle 51on the front end of the yoke 7 andthe head being counterbalanced stays in this position. The operator thencloses both switches 40, so that the power is applied to the power arm52. This power arm is here shown as a lever pivoted at 53 between itsends and the motion of the lever transferred to the yoke 7 throughtoggle links 54 and 55 pivoted together at 56 and pivotedrespectivelyat'their ends to the rear arm of the yoke 7 and to theframe. The link 55 is preferably pivoted on the same pivot 53, that thepower arm 52 is mounted on. The links 54 and 55 are so arranged thatthey are normally in an ineffective position, to apply pressure to thehead 2, when the press is open, but are moved into effective position toreceive and transmit the power of the lever 52 when the press has beenpreliminarily closed. The connections between the power lever 52 and thetoggle comprises a link 57 pivoted at 58 to the rear arm of the pOwerlever 52 and connected at its upper end to an extension 59 of the link54'by a pin-and-slot connection 60. 1

When the press head is open or up, the link 57 extends rearwardly nearlyhorizontally and hence 'will idle, if the power is applied to the lever52 and this lever 57 will also idle until the toggle links 54 and 55have been brought into a nearly straightened position or a positionassumed when the head 2 has been broughtdown close to the buck 1; The

construction and operation-of the't'ogglelink-f age forms nopart of thisinvention." a .In Figure 3, the arm 52 isoperated by an" eccentric 61mounted on the intermittently operated shaft 62, theeccentriccoactingwith a face 63 on the power lever 52. The power leveris caused to followthe cam or eccentric 62, during the opening of the press by; a spring64. v 1

Both forms of pressingma'chines embody a periodic" clutch mechanismoperable to close the press by a solenoid or electromagnet and thecontrol "of the clutch mechanism by a solenoid or electromagnet.

The control of theopening and closing of a garment and laundry presshaving two movements, one a closing movement and the other an openingmovement, is the essential feature of'this invention. i

What I claim is: V p Y 1. In a pressing machine the combination ofcooperating pressing elements,-one mov able toward and from theother,mechanism for applying pressure to the movable ele} ment comprising aconstantly rotating driving member, an intermittently movable driv enmember, a periodic clutch for connecting the driving and driven member,the clutch comprising a section normally out of clutchof cooperatingpressing elements, one of which is movable toward andfrom the other,means for movingthe movable elementto close the press and apply pressureto the. movable element, and to open the press, and

controlling. means for said mechanismcomprising an electromagnet and aplurality of manually operable normally open switches, the switchesbeing connected in series in the circuit of the electromagnet, and meansfor, controlling the opening movement of the press independently of theelectromagnet after the el'ectromagnet has been momentarily Ienergizedby the closing of the switches.

"3. In a garment orla-undry pressing Ina-- chine in combinationcooperative pressing elements one of which is'movable with respect 7 tothe other; operating jmechanism for the movable pressing element; apower means; a clutch for connecting the power means with the operatingmechanism; a pair of manuals V for controlling the clutch, both. ofwhich must manuals, during be operated to cause the clutch to engage;and

means operable upon release of either of said manuals,= during closingmovement of the press,-fo r disengaging the clutch so that the closingmovement will stop.

4. In a garment or laundry pressing ma chine in combination cooperativepressing elements one of which is movable with respectto' 7 the other;operating mechanism for the movable pressing element; a power means; aclutch for connecting the power means with he operating mechanism; apair of manuals for controlling the clutch, both of which must beoperated to cause the clutch to engage;

means operable upon release of either of said closing movement of thepress, ifor disengaging the clutch so that the closing movement willstop; and means to immediately return the press to open position whenthe closing movement is thus interrupted by release of one of the clutchcontrol manuals.

'5. In "a garment or laundry pressing machine in combination cooperativepressing ele ments'oneof which is movable with respect to the other;operating mechanism for the movable pressing element; operator operatedelectric means for controlling the operat ing mechanism toopen and closethe press;

mechanism to render the operating means ineffective if the operatoroperated means is released; and means to prevent operation of saidmechanism during the opening'movesaid electrically operated controlmeans during the closing of the press, h I

7. In a garment or laundry pressing machine in combination cooperativepressing elements one of which is movable with respect to the otheroperating mechanism for the movable pressing element including ashiftable clutch for connecting the operating mecha- 'nism wlth a powersource; electrically operated control means for engaging the clutch toopen and close the press; means for disengaging the clutch upon releaseof said electrically operated control means during the closing of thepress; and means to prevent operation of the clutch disengaging meansduring the opening of the press.

8. In a garm'entfor laundry pressing ma;

movable pressing element; a constantly run ning electric motor; a clutchfor connecting the electric, motor with the operatingrmechanism;,electricallyoperated means'for controlling the clutch including a pairof manually operated switchesgboth of .whiclrmust be closed to cause theclutch to engage; means normally holding saidswitch es in open position;and means operable upon release of either 01 said switches,duringclosing movement of the press, for disengaging the clutch so-thatthe closing movement will stop.

7 9. In a garment or laundry pressing machine in combination cooperativepressing elements one 01"". which is movable with respect to the other;operating mechanism for the movable pressing element; a constantlyrunning electric motor; a clutch for connecting the electric motor withthe operating mechanism; electrically "operated means for controllingthe clutch including a pair of m'anu ally operated switches, both ofwhich must be closed to cause the; clutch to engage; means normallyholding said switches in open position; means operable upon release'ofeither oi said switches, during closing movement of the press,- fordisengaging the clutchso' that the closing movement will stop; and meansto immediately return the press to open position when the closingmovement is thus interrupted by release of one ofsaid switches. V

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed myname, at'Syracuse, in thecounty of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 26th day of June,1924:.

' PHILIP N. BRAUN, I

